1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of input/output (I/O) connectors, more specifically to I/O connectors that handle higher amounts of power.
2. Description of Related Art
I/O connectors are commonly used in system architectures where it is desirable to pass information between two separate components via a flexible cable. Often a first connector will be mounted to a first circuit board and a second connector will be mounted to a second board and a cable with corresponding mating connectors will be plugged into the first and second connector so as to allow information to pass therebetween. Due to increased end-user needs, there has been a general interest in providing I/O connectors that can handle high data-rates (such as 10 Gbps and greater). Future I/O standards may include a 25 Gbps channel. This is expected to be beneficial, at least in part, because data rates of optical channels are suited to operate at 25 Gbps, thus allowing a one-to-one arrangement. For example, a 4X connector (where the X represents a transmit channel and a receive channel) that could operate at 25 Gbps would enable four two-way communication channels of 25 Gbps. While a passive cable would allow the signals to be transmitted for shorter distances, at the frequencies that tend to be used, a passive cable is unsuitable for long-distance communication. Such a 4x connector could therefore be coupled to an active module (either active copper or optical) so as to allow for increased cable lengths (optical cables offering the potential for lengths of a kilometer or more, for example).
One potential issue with such a solution, however, is that the use of active modules creates significant thermal energy. A module, for example, may need to dissipate more than 3 watts. If there is only one connector, the use of a convention riding heat sink can be sufficient. However, if the 4X connectors are ganged or stacked, it becomes much more challenging to cool the connectors. Therefore, certain individuals would appreciate an improved thermal solution.